Various
The Engine Room presents...vol. III

Whilst not being namedropped into every conversation about Leeds, like fellow DIY muso-specialists Dance To The Radio, West Yorkshire label The Engine Room may not be the most prolific set-up in terms of releases but for consistency they're hard to beat, as this, their third compilation in the space of little over a year, demonstrates.

Although the bulk of the artists on here come from in and around the label's homebase, that hasn't stopped The Engine Room from casting their net further afield: you get Liverpudlian ensemble Tramp Attack's pikey bluegrass alongside Leamington Spa progbusters Post War Years, as well as a clutch of local talent.

Picks of the bunch? To be honest the majority of the twenty tracks on this record are top notch, but special mentions must go to The Somatics and their post-Suede trance rocker 'Rebound' and The Butterfly's dramatic goth/cajun/metal/theatrical mash-up 'The Duke'. Add to those some dancefloor histrionics from Shut Your Eyes And You'll Burst Into Flames ('I Will Meditate And Then I Will Destroy You') and salacious post-rock from Vessels and you have a compilation that's fit for anyone with a slight disposition for any genre, as well as anyone with one ear to the ground where new music is concerned.

Whether or not Leeds can keep churning out talent of the highest order such as this is open to debate, but two years on from the initial Kaiser Chief-led flurry things seem as vibrantly healthy as ever.